Piscotty trending in right direction for Opening Day

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Stephen Piscotty expects to be ready for Opening Day.

“The way the last few days are going, I definitely feel that way,” Piscotty said. “I’m going to get some more at-bats [Tuesday] in the backfield and I see no issue in being ready for Opening Day.”

Piscotty, who made his Cactus League debut in Oakland’s 7-2 loss to the Angels on Monday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, had been sidelined since the beginning of camp with a left shoulder issue that required a cortisone shot. He has been plagued with injuries in general the past couple of years, which includes left wrist issues that led to season-ending surgery in August.

The A's are hoping Piscotty can recapture his form from years’ past. His best season with Oakland came in 2018 when he hit 41 doubles and 27 home runs and tallied 88 RBIs with 78 runs.

“I think I am the same player that I have been, and some injuries have definitely held me back a little bit,” Piscotty said. “I’ve never used stats to set goals. I just want to take quality at-bats and usually the results come with that. There have been some bumps coming back from the wrist [injury] with the shoulder, but after the last week or so, I really 'feel it.' I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m looking forward to the season.”

Against the Angels, Piscotty flied out to right field on the second pitch from Angels starter Noah Syndergaard in the second. He later drew a walk in the fourth inning and was all smiles in the clubhouse after the game.

“To go up there without any hesitation or timidness,” Piscotty said, “I was very, very pleased.”

Blackburn solid
A’s starter Paul Blackburn visualized his first pitch to Angels leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani all morning.

It was going to be sinker low and away, Blackburn said. Ohtani would roll it over with a slow ground ball to second base for an easy out. Once the game started, Blackburn’s sinker sunk, and it was away enough, but the pitch was a little high and Ohtani smacked the ball into right field for a single.

“Those guys are trying to get their swings,” Blackburn said. “I understand that if you are Ohtani or [Mike] Trout, you don’t get that many good pitches a game, so they are also trying to get their work in.”

By the end of his outing, Blackburn was charged with two runs on six hits and two walks in four innings, with one strikeout. The first four hitters he faced were a fearsome foursome: Ohtani, Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Justin Upton -- but only Ohtani and Upton had hits.

“I was very antsy out there and I felt like I let my body get ahead of myself a couple of times,” Blackburn said. “But feel-wise and command-wise, I felt pretty good out there. I feel like my changeup has really developed this offseason and I threw a lot of good ones today, both to lefties and righties.”